1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a vehicle navigation apparatus, and a method for controlling the apparatus.
2. Description of Related Art
In a conventional navigation apparatus, when a place of departure, the current position, and/or a destination are inputted, search data of road data and the like are read out and route search is performed. The route search is typically based on preset search logic for the shortest traveling distance, preference for a particular road type, and so on. As the user selects one of the routes returned by the search, the user is guided by visual signals and/or audio signals along the selected route until the user reaches the destination.
In some cases, however, a route returned by a search based only on search logic and search data as described above may not fit the route that the user prefers. For example, in the case of a route from a place of departure (home) to a destination (workplace), like a commuter route frequently used by the user, the same route from the place, of departure to the destination is always returned by search and as a result, the user often does not use the navigation apparatus. Furthermore, even if the user continues to use the navigation apparatus, the user remembers the route and drives on the route without depending on the navigation apparatus.
Finally, if the user tries to locate a route using the conventional navigation apparatus that the user found on his or her own as a result of his/her own driving, a search based on search logic will not necessarily find that route.